Like I mentioned in my Mourning Lenore review a couple of months ago Portugal isn't too well-known for its metal scene. But it certainly seems that especially the Portuguese doom scene is starting to come of age and besides Insaniae the aforementioned Mourning Lenore this year also sees Process Of Guilt making some "Waves".

Erosion is the stand-out album of 2009. The Portuguese gloom masters Process Of Guilt have really come into a sound of their own with this seminal album mixing death/doom with post metal influences hence creating some sort of post doom. A modern day classic is what Erosion is and hopefully the band's breakthrough album to the metal world outside of the doom scene and Portugal.

Meh...what can I say? Atmospheric and interesting...enjoyed the vocals. Unfortunately, not enough variety to keep the listener fully enraptured. And for a cyclical kind of concept album, there has to be many variations of the themes to hold it together. New genre, but look at Edge of Sanity's Crimson. Perfect BECAUSE of how it variated upon the theme and took ballsy risks. It's not that there was repetition (certainly wasn't), but it lacked NEW elements to grab the listener's attention.

A shame...I wanted to like this record, but it's just so...traditional. In spite of the excellent death-kinda vocals. While it does reach emotional peaks that I anticipate and feel as I listen to it...I just can't help thinking that this album could have done the same things in about 20 minutes time. Far too long for what it ultimately accomplishes.

And the lyrics...what could have ultimately saved this effort comes across as shallow. It's hard to get into the album when the lyrics (aside from Dust) offer little emotional depth to coincide with the emotional depth of the instrumentals. I certainly hope this baby will grow on me someday.

I knew it was you, I just set a trap and you walked right into it. I have a good memory you know. I genuinely like the album and I think seven is a very good score for now. Don't haste me. Renounce it is then.